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(AP) — Debris and muck were all that remained where homes once stood, tens of thousands spent the night in shelters, and others would weather another long day without safe drinking water or electricity. Yet, in churches across storm-ravaged South Texas, parishioners saw hope amid the devastation, and sought strength in faith.

(The Conversation) —The earliest Latin commentary on the Gospels, lost for more than 1,500 years, has been rediscovered and made available in English for the first time. The extraordinary find, a work written by a bishop in northern Italy, Fortunatianus of Aquileia, dates back to the middle of the fourth century.

The World Day of Prayer for the Care for Creation, a designation first established by the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1989, is Sept. 1.

The observance was expanded in 2007, according to the World Council of Churches, into a season known as "Creationtide" or "Time for Creation," lasting from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4.

LONDON (RNS) — The line of locals and tourists stretches about 400 people long, and one might think they are waiting to get into a play, a museum or even for ice cream.

But these people want to go to a church service.

On Aug. 18, Stephen Mathis, interim president of the Missouri Baptist Foundation, announced he would retire from MBF on Sept. 30 after nearly 31 years working at the institution. Mathis, who is also executive vice president, has been interim president since June 2015 and previously served as interim president during two other transitions.

At the end of 2017, Neville Callam will retire after more than 10 years as the general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance. Originally from Jamaica, he is the first general secretary not from the U.S. or Europe. At the close of the BWA’s 2017 annual gathering in Bangkok, Thailand, in July, Callam sat down for an interview with Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor. 

(RNS) As Harvey, now a tropical storm, continues to turn its Super Soakers on Houston, those quick to see God’s angry handiwork in earlier storms have so far focused their efforts on praising Houston’s first responders and citizen volunteers.

Baptist groups are working to assess needs and to formulate relief plans as Hurricane Harvey continues to pour water into an already-flooded southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

PRINCEVILLE, N.C. (RNS) — When it comes to disaster relief, few outfits across the South have been as organized, efficient or cheerful as the Baptist and Methodist recovery networks.

Imagine Delores J. Porter’s surprise, then, when she gingerly stepped onto the exposed floor joists of her torn-out home to find a troop of young Muslim volunteers in blue “Islamic Relief USA” T-shirts installing support beams in the 90-degree heat.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (USA Today) — Last year, an elementary school classmate came out as a transgender boy to Dean Inserra’s fourth-grade son. So, the Southern Baptist pastor turned it into a teachable moment.